UK Retailers Announce Sustainable Fish Moves

Sainsbury's moved all its own label canned tuna to pole and line caught in 2009, and as a result, was rated No.1 by Greenpeace for responsible sourcing. Meanwhile the humble sprat and neglected flounder are launching at Waitrose to generate new enthusiasm for these unloved fish.

1/7/2011 --- Sainsbury's has announced that all tuna used as an ingredient in its food will be caught using the pole and line method by the end of this month. This move ensures that 100% of Sainsbury's tuna across all products is responsibly sourced. Sainsbury's fresh, frozen and canned tuna is already line caught.

All of Sainsbury's ready meals, sandwiches, pate, dips, salads, sandwich and potato fillers and sushi containing tuna will now be sourced using the more selective fishing method which practically eliminates bycatch of other species.

Sainsbury's moved all its own label canned tuna to pole and line caught in 2009, and as a result, was rated No.1 by Greenpeace for responsible sourcing.

Tuna is the third biggest-selling fish in Sainsbury's and the move will now see 1,500 tonnes of fish move to the more sustainable catch method every year.

Ally Dingwall, Aquaculture & Fisheries Manager, Sainsbury's says: "We're proud to be able to offer our customers pole and line caught skipjack tuna across all products from tins to sandwiches to ready meals. As the UK's largest retailer of MSC and Freedom Food fish, we continue to source food as responsibly as possible. This means our 20 million customers have peace of mind that what they're buying is as sustainable as it can be."

Sainsbury's is the second largest fish retailer in the UK, selling over £400 million worth of fish every year.

Fellow retailer Waitrose has developed and launched a full range of own label canned tuna produced using pole and line caught fish only. Meanwhile the humble sprat and neglected flounder are launching at Waitrose to generate new enthusiasm for these unloved fish.

Cornish sprats and Welsh flounder are good value British alternatives to many better-known varieties of oily and white fish.

But these local delicacies are often overlooked and - in the case of Welsh flounder - discarded and thrown back into the sea.

Welsh flounder, a white flat fish, will make its UK supermarket debut at Waitrose in late February priced at £8.99 per kilo of fillets.

That compares to £12.99 per kilo currently charged for lemon sole fillets, making Welsh flounder a good value alternative.

Waitrose Specialist Fish Buyer Jeremy Ryland Langley said: “Welsh flounder is often discarded but we think this is a great tasting fish that is a fantastic alternative to other white fish such as plaice and lemon sole.

“Waitrose is trying to create a new market for a fish that is currently discarded and thrown away.

“We are very keen to introduce new species in the market where we can to ease the pressure on some of our more popular and well-known fish, and I think Welsh flounder will be very popular.”

Whole Cornish sprats, which have the scientific name Sprattus Sprattus, will appear in around 100 Waitrose branches in late January priced at just £4.99 per kilo.

Waitrose previously stocked the omega 3-rich fish but stopped because customers preferred sardines and mackerel.

Jeremy explained: “We sold them in the past but they have fallen out of favour, with sardines becoming the more popular of these small species of oily fish.

“Sprats have had an unglamorous reputation but they are nice little fish that are highly nutritious and can be used in recipes calling for sardines. They're also great value for money.”

Cornish sprats will be available in Waitrose for the first few months of 2011 while the season lasts.

They are best cooked simply either under the grill or dusted with flour and then fried.

Cornish sprats and Welsh flounder are both caught by in-shore day boats using responsible fishing methods.